Sunday, January 25, 2009

Commitments to Being Healthy

Going to cooking school is hard. You are probably thinking, all the burns, the standing on your feet, the endless repetition. You are wrong; it is the endless consumption of food, good food, but fatty and rich (most of the time.) So this year is a fresh start and that means battling my cooking school consumption. How will I do it? Cook more…. By cooking at home, I can make healthy and flavorful meals. I don’t really think it terms of healthy, but what I enjoy eating. It just so happens this recipe is both healthy and delicious. I used the recipe from Martha Stewart Living. Asian fish en papillote contains in its pouch wild fluke with bok choy, lime, hot chili, and cilantro. I made a side of rice (I used brown) with shitake mushroom and scallions. I added a few touches to bump up the flavor. I sautéed the shitakes in sesame oil.And I also add a splash of soy sauce to the papillote which when cooked creates a balanced sauce.I make extra brown rice and mushroom so I can make fried rice the next day, with veggies and tofu. 2 healthy meals in one.Here are the recipes:Fish en papillote Serves 4Zest from 2 limes, finely shredded3 limes juiced4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced1 piece (2 inches) ginger, peeled and julienned1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced2 mild to spicy red chilies, halved4 fillets (6 oz ach) black bass, halibut, or striped bass (I used fluke)4 head baby bok choy½ cup extra virgin olive oilCoarse salt and freshly ground pepper8 sprigs fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 450. Mix lime zest and juice, garlic, ginger, onion and chilies in a medium bowl. Fold four 20-inh pieces of parchment in half lengthwise. Unfold and place 1 fillet and 1 head of bok choy along each crease. Rub both with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with some onion mixture and 2 sprigs of cilantro. (Here is where I sprinkled a little soy sauce over the top.)2. Fold parchment over fish, making small overlapping folds along the edges and sealing with a paper clip. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until parchment puffs, 10-12 minutes. Carefully cut packets, avoiding escaping steam and serve.

1. Bring water and rice to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tablespoon oil, and seasons with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand.2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil (I used a little sesame oil) in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shitakes in a single layer, and cook, stirring often until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes more. Add garlic and cook until light golden brown. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Transfer rice to a platter, top with shitake mixture and sprinkle with scallions.

Mmm.. papillote is one of my favorite way to cook fish and i love your recipe for jasmine rice and shitakes. Sounds so tasty! I need to eat more healthy too but with the freezing-cold weather and restaurant week... i just can't!

I really need to get healthier this year. I think we're doing pretty okay, lotsa greens and steamed red rice usually. However, as I write this there's a brown butter pear and chocolate cake in the oven.

Cooking school sounds so much more fun than my accountancy classe were. And I love the fish en papillote - it's like unwrapping a gift at dinner :)